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Topic: First impressions/complaints (Read 403 times)

Game is generally confusing. Hard to know which professions allow for other professions (e.g. coalmakers being required for every profession that needs coal). That isn't helped by the fact that the resource management is almost Stellaris-like in its complexity, and that it isn't made clear how production works sometimes (for my first game I thought I needed special lumber-producing tiles to get lumber for nearly twenty turns). This can easily turn off new players.

The opposition... where is it? By 404 AD (is there a turn counter?) I had 3-4 spearmen, and this made me invincible. No barbarians could stand against even one of them (not that they ever attacked me), and the nearby Saxons were even weaker - one archer in the capital?! If the AI is that bad, then settlements really should have their own defenses.

Also, not sure what point there is to occupying enemy capitals. Nothing seems to happen, you can't control them (no vassalization feature?), and there don't seem to be any benefits as opposed to pillaging. Strangely enough, despite being competitive and daring, Cerdic didn't declare war on me until after I took his capital. The game still treats him as being an active player. That's an unpleasant way to find out that he wasn't dead, likely couldn't be killed at all, and that war isn't mutual for some reason. However, his attitude was only 'cold'. I looked and discovered why: I had -4 relation for being nice to two of his enemies, presumably for greeting them with gifts. No acknowledgement of the fact that I had entered his territory, attacked him, and taken his settlement!

I don't see what need there is for a road-building ability. They occasionally don't mesh graphically (creating breaks), look very weird once you depart the area, and the AI can't use them properly.

There should be level requirements for certain professions. Otherwise, once you unlock, say, tinkers, lorekeepers are made totally useless and it feels overpowered to be able to create skilled specialists so easily out of fresh clans.

As the Goths, I received treasure occasionally from the Romans (who I'd never met) for my 'loyal service'. I believe this is a Vandals-only event.

The fact that resources are separate entities on the map, and thus don't appear in the scrollover info is atrocious. Almost as bad is that fact that borders and units don't either - so until I got an explorer to find out just who the orange territory and ship belonged to, it might have been Rome for all I knew.

The supply number and families should be displayed in the unit info or on the clan card itself, with no need to bring up any tooltip.

The Franks are Arian Christian, despite them apparently being at war with all non-Nicene Christian factions. They seemed friendly to me, but since I can't tell if they're at war with me - with war not being a mutual relationship - and wars not being reflected in the relationship or influence, I really have no way of knowing. I sent a scout in, but they didn't go after it.

The game does not have any ability to repair pillaged buildings, which is insane. You can cultivate wild-growing barley, but if the farm is destroyed the wheat is permanently inaccessible? Wut? Both of the other factions I saw had pillaged resources. I'm not even going to guess whether or not they know how to move their settlements towards other resources.

Overall, there is a lot to like about the game, but the broken mechanics and AI are crushing it. Hence, this post focuses on the negative aspects. I would not be averse to the AI receiving advantages if it made the gameplay more competitive. A minor suggestion: thematically, I dislike the idea of resources permanently depleting. These aren't industrial times, after all. It would not drastically alter the gameplay if they grew back after a decade or two.

And a question: will there be a worldbuilder/omniscient view in the future?